Submarine mine.



E. SCHNEIDER.

SUBMARINE MINE.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.14,1913.

Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

3 SHEETBSHBBT 1.

E. SCHNEIDER.

SUBMARINB MINE. APPLIOATI'ON FILED FBB.14,1913.

1,073,291, Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. SCHNEIDER. SUBMARINE MINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14,1913.

Patented. Sept. 16, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

- of the submersible vessel. The third effect a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER, 01? LE CREUZOT, FRANCE.

SUBMARINE MINE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EUGENE SCHNEIDER, of Le Creuzot, France, have invented new and useful Improvements in Submarine Mines, which is fully set forth in'the following specification.

This invention relates to submarine mines.

Carterons United States If atent No. 1,039,254, issued 24 September, 1912, describes a submarine mine adapted to be moored. from a submersible vessel, with which object it is provided with a series of devices producing the following effects: 1. They insure a positive buoyancy of the mine constituted by the float, the anchor and the regulating weight, so long as these three elements are united to a fixed station upon the submersible vessel, in such a manner that the mine as a whole when released from the submerged Vessel leaves the latter and rises toward the surface. 2. After the release of the mine these devices effect the separation of the three elements, and the destruction of the buoyancy (effected by suitably ballasting the elements) these operations being, however, retarded in such a manner that the elements as a whole are afforded sufficient time to rise to the surface or in proximity to the surface, before the three elements begin to separate. 3. In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention the safety salt blocks of thefiring device are protected from the water during submerged navigation and the water is not allowed to come into contact with the salt until after the mine has been released from the submersible vessel. In accordance with the invention described in the Carteron patent referred to above, these effects were obtained by the following essential auxiliary members: The first effect was obtained by means of water ballast chambers (the auxiliary reservoir of the float, and the caissons .of the anchor) maintained closed by valves,

so long as the three mine elements are assembled on the deck of the vessel. The second effect was obtained by an immersion regulating weight having a retarded fall and a device retarding the opening of the valves of the caissonsthe opening of all the valves being elfected by the rocking of the mine in the water around its center of gravity as soon as it has been released from the vessel. \Vlth this ob ect the mine was locked 1n an inverted position upon the deck Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 14, 1913.

Serial N 0. 748,414.

Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

was obtained by inclosing the salt blocks in the auxiliary reservoir of the float.

The present inventlon has for its object an improvement of the mine disclosed by the Carteron patent referred to above. This improvement results in a Very considerable simplification of the characteristic means enumerated above. f

It consists: (1) of a modified arrangement of the valves for the ballast reservoirs, which valves without necessitating the rocking of the mine about its center of gravity and consequently enabling the mine to be locked in its normal uninverted position, and (2) some modifications in the forms and arrangements of the several parts.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, thesame will be described more fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which Figs. 3 and 4 are-views of details and Fig.

5 shows the various positions assumed after launching.

As in the construction described in the Carteron patent referred to above, the improved form of mine comprises the following characteristic auxiliary members: 1. An auxiliary reservoir 1 inclosed in the float a; this reservoir is provided with a valve sand protects two safety devices [6 (salt block devices). for the firing mechanism (Fig. 1). 2. Two caissons 1", 1" belonging to the anchor 32 and each provided with valves 9. 9. 3. An immersion regulating weight d provided with a fall retarder (Figs. 1 and 2).

The counterweighted valve device is re placed by the following (Figs. 3 and 4): Each of the anchor caissons r, r, and the auxiliary reservoir 1 of the float are closed by a plug .9 shown in Figs. 3 and t. This plug 3 has a conical bearing surface s" which rests upon a conical seatformed in the screw 3111 or socket s carr in the lu l r. ta

The plug is held in place upon its seat by a strap of solder 8 located in a 'groove 8 which is provided for this purpose, upon the periphery of the plug. The plug ends in an eye 8". The screw plug or socket 's' in which the plug .9 is fitted has a central passage a through which the water is able to pass as soon as the plug has been torn lit can be screwed with the interpermits of the retarded opening of the On top of these caissons and fast thereto are mounted brackets supporting achair frame I), on which the float a is seated. The sole plate I) is also provided with other standards 6 in which is supported a reel 6 carrying a mooring cable and having a ratchet wheel 7J8 adapted to be engaged by a spring retained locking pawl g mountedon one of the standards 6 A cross Piece 6 riveted to the two caissons 1", serves as point of attachment forthe fall retarder of the immersion regulating weight d. For a detailed description of this fall ret-arder, reference is had to U. S. Patent 1,039,254 referred to above, but briefly stated it consists of a piston (i working a piston channel in' weight Z,the piston being provided with a piston rod having a head which is normally gripped by jaws (Z pivotally supported at the end of a rod d which is secured at its upper threaded end to cross piece 6 The function of this device is to retard the fall of weight d after the mine is released, as described below. The sole plate 6 carries at its lower part an eye I). which serves for locking the mine to the deck by meansof a bolt is.

The immersion regulating weight d (Figs. It and 2) is of the same formation as that described in. Carterons patent referred to above. It is provided with the same fall retarding device, with pin, claws, glycerin cyiinder and piston. tached to the middle of the cross piece 6 The auxiliary reservoir 1 of the float a (Fig. 1) receives the two salt block safety devices :1: described in the said patent, these devices locking the firing mechanism so long as the salt blocks have not been dissolved in the water.

Thus modified the mine can be. installed upon the deck of the submersible'vesselin its normal position with the'anchor downward) as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It is held there by a compressed air actuated bolt 70, similar to that indicated in the patentin question; this bolt engages in the eye I) of the sole plate 6' and can be controlled from the interior of the vessel. The plugs 8., 9 and 9 are placed in position on their conical seats upon the reservoir 1 and upon the caissons, 7 7" respectively and sealed therein by solder strips 8 they thus insure the watertightness of the auxiliary reservoir of the float and of the caissons of the anchor. In these conditions, the reservoirs 1' and 1" r The pin can be at chor. In this position e cable t is not taut.

Each of the soldered plugs 9, 9 of the caissons 7" of the anchor is attached by the intermediar of a link a to a cable a the other extremlty of which is attached to an eye a fixed to the float a. The two lengths of cable a are not taut in this position.

The immersion regulating weight d (Figs. 1 and 2) is placed upon a recess 3' in the deck. It is provided with its retarding de vice, the pin of which is attached to the middle of the'cross piece 6 It is alsoattached, as in-the Carteron patent referred to above, to an immersion regulating line f which is wound upon. it, the other end of this line being attached to the locking lever g of the winch.

The mine is released during the submersion of the vessel merely by drawing back the bolt 70. The released mine as a. whole starts from the position I (Fig. 5) rises toward the surface to the position II and reaches the surface in the position III. The immersion regulating weight d would have a tendency to remain upon the deck but is carried along with the mine owing to its fall retarder, which does not permit of its release from the claws 01 of the pin 01 until the expiration of a certain time. This time is suflicient to enable the mine to rise to the-surface or in proximity to the surface and for the submersible vessel to leave the spot (Fig. 5, position III). At the end of this period, theimmersion regulating weight d is released; it falls, unwinds the immersion regulating line f and exerts traction upon the locking lever. The winch is released and the anchor (which although the caissons r are empty, has a certain weight 1n the water) descends and unwlnds its cable 0, while the float a remains on the surface. At a given moment, the lengths of cable 25 z z are taut. (positions IV and V) and. the soldered plugs are torn out. The anchor continues its descent, the caissons of the anchor become filled with water and the mooring is completed in the ordinary manner (positions VI and VII).

It will be seen that the valve arrange- Incnt does notpermit of the opening of the ballast reservoirs until the immersion regulating weight has descended, it subordinates the opening of the valvesfto the fall of the immersion regulating weight. It

therefore insures certainty in the opening oi the valves with a certain amount of re terdetion from the time or" releasing the What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A submarine mine adapted to be launched from a submarine vessel and comprising 's, float, an anchor and e regulating Weight norm' lly superimposed in the order named for launching, cables connecting said parts, said float and anchor eech provided with a ballast reservoir having s valved closure, and connections wtween said valves and the anchor and float respectively and adapted to uncover seid parts when said parts separate on launching.

2. In a submarine mine adapted to be launched from a vessel under water, the combination ot' a buoyant torpedo and an anchor, each having a ballast chamber provided with a sealed closure, 21 cable connecting said carts and flexible connections between seid seals and said anchor and float respectively and retarding means on the operation ofwhich said parts separate and cause seiddconuections to break the seals,

3. ,In a submarine mine, the combination of e buoyant torpedo having a ballast chemtion of said anchor from-said torpedo.

4. In a submarine mine, the combination of e buoyant torpedo provided with bcllast chamber having a port normally closed by a. solder sealedplug, a separable enchor for said torpedo and connect-ions between said plug and anchor for breaking said seal on the separation of said torpedo end an chor.

In a submarine mine, the combination of a buoyant torpedo and an anchor, each of said elements being provided with a ballast chamber having a port normally closed by a solder sealed plug, a cable for connecting said torpedo and anchor, a regulating Weight on the release of which said anchor separates from said torpedo, and means successively operating to release said plugs.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification 1n the presence of two subscr1bing Witnesses.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER.

i fitnesses Hnnson C. ()cxn, Bonner 9r. Snvnunorn. 

